Interviewing Voices: Should you try to interview the voices of everyone diagnosed with schizophrenia? I never did, but a study should be done.

I would attempt to interview a patient’s voices only when I suspected multiple personality, as when:

1. Patients have conversations with their voices.

2. Patients relate to their voices as though they are people or rational beings of some sort.

3. Patients have a history of memory gaps (you have to ask).

4. Voices converse with each other.

5. Voices give the patient relevant advice.

6. Patients have gotten different diagnoses at different hospitalizations or from different mental health professionals.

7. Patients are more socially engaging than is typical for a person with textbook schizophrenia.

8. Patients act or dress differently at different times.

9. Patients have arguments with themselves.

10. Patient’s family or friends think that the patient has multiple personality, but hadn’t told the doctors, because they thought it was obvious, or thought that the diagnosis of schizophrenia encompassed multiple personality.

Most people have either schizophrenia or multiple personality, not both. Part of the concept of schizophrenia is cognitive impairment; whereas, in contrast, multiple personality is a cognitive feat (to be able to juggle multiple personalities and memory banks). But there could be exceptions.